NOVEL NEXT Chapter 356: The Price of a Queen’s Worth
Primrose didn't want to part from her father so soon, but unfortunately, it was impossible for him to stay in Noctvaris for too long.
Although it wasn't the first time they had been separated, tears still welled up and spilled down her cheeks. Perhaps it was her pregnancy that made her more emotional, but deep down, she knew she had always been somewhat dramatic.
"Next time, I'll be the one to visit you, Father." Primrose dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, though it felt useless since her tears kept falling. "Don't you dare die before I see you again."
"You silly child! How dare you think your father will die that quickly?!" Lazarus scolded her. "You don't have to worry about visiting me! Since you're pregnant now, let this old man come to you instead!"
Primrose pouted slightly. "But I want to come to Illvaris during winter. I want to attend the King's birthday."
Lazarus clicked his tongue. "He hasn't even invited you yet. Forget it. It's too dangerous to travel in winter while you're pregnant."
Primrose had already worried that her plan to visit Illvaris would fall apart because of her pregnancy. She had suspected both Lazarus and Edmund would react this way, but still … she truly wanted to go.
It felt like her body longed for that place. Maybe because she hadn't been back to her homeland for more than three years—including her past life—or maybe it was just one of those strange cravings pregnant women often had.
"But, Father ...." She nudged the tip of his shoe lightly with hers and stole glances at Edmund, who was standing beside him. "I think my child wants to visit my homeland too. I'm really homesick and don't think I can wait nine months."
After nine months, they would surely say the baby was still too little to travel such a long distance. In the end, if Primrose didn't convince them now, she knew she might not be able to return to her homeland anytime soon.
"You don't know what it's like to be so far from home," she whispered, lowering her head. Her fragile tone and downcast eyes made her look so pitiful that the two men in front of her couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Telling her no felt like shoving her into an icy lake. It would be too cruel and heartless.
It sounded dramatic, but that was exactly how it felt to them.
"I-I can find a safe way to get to Illvaris," Edmund said first. "Don't worry. As long as you're beside me, I'll make sure you're safe and that we arrive without any trouble."
"Really?" Primrose suddenly lifted her face and showed him the brightest smile, the kind that melted Edmund's heart. "You'll really let me go to Illvaris?"
Edmund's gaze softened, and he answered gently, "As long as you go with me, then yes."
With a burst of joy, Primrose threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly and smothering his cheeks with kisses. "Thank you, husband! I love you!"
He steadied her in his embrace, making sure she wouldn't stumble in her excitement. "I love you more."
Standing off to the side, Lazarus winced and groaned. "I haven't given my answer yet!"
But Primrose only hugged Edmund's arm tighter and smiled proudly. "After marriage, a woman belongs to her husband, not her father anymore."
Lazarus's jaw dropped, his face twisting with outrage. "Traitor! You were supposed to be your father's little girl forever!"
Primrose giggled, pressing her cheek against Edmund's arm. "I'll always be your daughter, Father. But now I'm also a wife, and wives listen to their husbands."
Edmund smiled faintly, then spoke to Lazarus with confidence. "Don't worry, Father. I'll take good care of her when we go to Illvaris. Your daughter will be safe and sound in my hands."
"Hmph!" Lazarus crossed his arms, glaring at Edmund, though his eyes softened the moment he glanced back at Primrose. "Alright, then! I'll be waiting for you in Illvaris when winter comes!"
Primrose's heart swelled with joy, and she clasped Edmund's arm even tighter. "Thank you, Father!" she said brightly, her voice trembling with excitement.
After exchanging their farewells several times, Lazarus finally left Noctvaris with Edmund.
Since Primrose had nothing urgent to do and was feeling healthy enough, she decided to study the module Sevrin had given her the day before.
She read and practiced diligently, losing track of time until the clock nearly struck midnight, just as her husband finally returned home to the palace.
"Wife, you're here." Edmund opened the door to his office and found Primrose sitting comfortably in his chair as if it were her own.
She looked up at him with a bright smile. "Welcome home, husband! Did you bring my father back safely? Is his back hurting?"
Edmund chuckled softly. "He got home just fine. I made sure to move as slowly as possible so his back wouldn't suffer." He crossed the room toward her, his eyes softening. "But tell me, what are you doing here? Why aren't you in bed?"
When he reached her, Primrose leaned into his embrace without hesitation, resting her cheek against his abdomen. Her voice was gentle, almost a whisper. "I just wanted to study a little more while I still can. You know … before morning sickness, or whatever else comes with pregnancy, starts making things difficult."
The doctors who had examined her said that her body hadn't shown any symptoms yet because she was still in the very early stages of pregnancy.
Maybe, in about two weeks, she would begin to experience morning sickness or worse, other discomforts that often came with carrying a child.
Primrose sighed softly, leaning further into Edmund's embrace. "I don't know what it'll feel like … but I just hope I can handle it without troubling you too much."
Edmund caressed the back of her head. "What do you mean by that? Of course, you should trouble me. I'm your husband, so I'd be glad if my wife depended on me whenever she's struggling."
"Maybe I'll become so clingy and helpless," Primrose said with a soft laugh.
"I'd like to see that," Edmund replied with a faint smile. He gently urged her to stand, then slipped into the chair himself and pulled her back down to sit on his lap. "I have something for you."
Primrose raised one of her eyebrows. Another gift? She was starting to lose count of how many presents her husband had given her since their marriage.
It seemed as if Edmund truly found joy in showering the person he loved most with treasures.
He reached for a folder on the desk and handed it to her. "Here. Take a look at this."
Primrose opened the folder, her eyes skimming over the neatly arranged numbers. Her brows furrowed. "A financial report? Is this about the palace accounts … or your business deposits?"
Edmund chuckled, reaching up to brush his fingers against her cheek. "No, wife. That isn't a report … it's your dowry."
Her eyes widened in shock. "My dowry?!" She flipped through the pages again, her gaze snagging on one enormous number. Her lips parted, her voice barely a whisper. "… Five … hundred … thousand … gold coins?" She almost choked on the words.
"H-husband … why … why would you suddenly give me such a huge dowry?" Her voice shook as she looked up at him, confusion and disbelief swirling in her eyes.
Her father had never given her this kind of money! When she had asked Lazarus for funds, it had only been around thirty thousand gold coins, just enough to buy a few plots of land. Compared to this, it was unimaginable.
Edmund replied softly, "After speaking with your father when I fetched him this morning, I learned that in your homeland, a husband is supposed to give his wife a dowry. Since such a tradition doesn't exist in the beastlands, I wasn't familiar with it at all."
"That's why, this afternoon, I opened an account in your name as your … belated dowry," he explained. His voice grew more tender. "I'm sorry, wife. I should have taken the time to understand your culture sooner."
Primrose was still in shock, her hands trembling as she clutched the folder. She had never spoken to Edmund about the dowry tradition because, in this lifetime, he had already given her so much, including free access to draw money from his personal account.
That was why she had thought it would be far too much to ever ask him for a dowry. Besides, the wedding ring he had given her was already priceless, and no amount of gold could ever compare to its meaning.
But then, suddenly, he handed her this dowry worth half a million gold coins.
"Husband … this … this is too much." She whined softly, hugging the folder tightly against her chest. "How can I ever deserve something like this?"
She had even heard once that the Queen of Azmeria had only received around one hundred thousand gold coins as her dowry, so how could she possibly be given five times that amount?!